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prevalenoe of diseases which are most prone to attack and are
most fatal to individuals at the particular age under consideration.
Thus, diarrhoea, convulsions, bronchitis, debility
and atrophy, are most fatal amongst children under 1 year
old; measles, scarlet fever and whooping cough, and bronchitis
between 1 and 5 years of age, so that an excessive prevalence
of one or the other will cause an unusually large percentage of
deaths at these ages. It is also evident that a high birth rate
will be coincident with a large proportionate mortality at the
ages of 0—1 and 1—5 years, irrespective of the prevalence of
any particular disease, unless a very great change should occur
in the social status of the population. The latter shows that
the percentages of deaths under 1 year of age was about the
average, viz., 24.3 per cent. of the whole number, against 24.4
for the 9 years 1876.84, and 243 for 1866-75. At the age
period 1/5 the percentage was 17.8 against 16.8, and 15.7 and
16.4 in former periods; the high rate at this age having
occurred in consequence of the prevalence of measles and
whooping cough in 1885 as compared with former years.
Between 5 and 65 years of age the mortality was less than
usual, some ages having been 1 per oent. below the average,
but between 65 and 85 the reverse obtained the mortality at
the age period of 65—75, having been 1.4 per cent. in excess,
and at 75-85 1 per above the average, arising most probably
from the large proportion of the population living above
70 years of age. There were 31 deaths between 80 and 81
years of age, 28 between 81 and 82; 24 between 82 and 83;
27 between 83 and 84; 18 between 84 and 85; 15 between 85
and 86; 11 between 86 and 87; 8 between 87 and 88;
2 between 88 and 89; 10 between 89 and 90, making a total of
174 betweed 80 and 90 years of age. There were also 6 deaths
between 90 and 91; 2 between 91 and 92; 6 between 92 and
93; 3 between 93 and 94; 3 between 94 and 95, and 1 between
97 and 98, making a total of 21 deaths at the great age
of 90—98 years.